On Wednesday, January 14, the Iranian cargo ship Rona sent out an SOS signal in the Caspian Sea. This prompted a quick rescue operation by Turkmenistan's Coast Guard, which successfully saved all 14 crew members on board.

The Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that emergency response teams “took all necessary actions to rescue the people on the ship according to international maritime regulations.” It was highlighted that “because of the timely response, all 14 crew members were rescued.”

Initial reports indicate that the crew consists of citizens from Iran and India. The Turkmen government has stated that it is “following all necessary procedures according to international rules” after the rescue.

An unverified photo that has been shared online seems to show the vessel sinking from the back, although the authenticity of this image has not been confirmed.

Reports suggest that the Rona was on a route often linked to transporting weapons and sanctioned materials from Iran to Russia, which adds a geopolitical context to the incident. However, there has been no official comment regarding the ship's cargo or mission at the time the distress signal was issued.